Ellington

Something for Tomorrow guitarist/vocalist Kenny Davis and guitarist Will Brown were childhood friends who picked up their instruments for the first time while attending high school in Jackson. The constantly joking duo—according to Brown, the band "doesn't rock, it mountains"—played coffee houses before meeting up with bassist Travis Dance at Mississippi State. They went through several different drummers until Brown put down the guitar and exchanged it for a pair of drumsticks, finalizing the band's lineup. It wasn't long before they left Starkville to return home to Jackson and refine their craft.

Living in Jackson gave the band more time to work on new material, and provided them with a wealth of new venues. On the eve of their first gig, they found themselves without a band name. Someone suggested, "We need something for tomorrow." The name struck a chord with the band and became their moniker from then on.

Something for Tomorrow have played several locations around Jackson, but say they are always on the lookout for new venues. While they wait to hear back about bookings, Davis takes advantage of local open-mic nights, hoping to gain as many fans as possible with his solo acoustic set.

Blending tongue-in-cheek metal theatrics with stripped-down folk, the band reveal a diversity of influences—from Sum 41 to Blind Melon—at their shows. From the melancholy of "Fishing" to the in-your-face metal of "Right Now," their sound is diverse and surprising.

So too are Davis' lyrics, which at times are despondent: "If you must, you can count on me to be nothing you need me to be." Some, like the lyrics to "Right Now," are defiant: "Right now I feel so far away, this current pulling down on me. I know I can't give in; it's up to me to sink or swim."

"I usually write alone, then bring the guitar part and lyrics to practice so we can work on the songs together," Davis says. Band members write songs on an acoustic guitar, then transfer to electric guitars during practice sessions. On rare occasions, they develop songs in jam sessions. "The Nintendo Song"—with lyrics comprised mostly of old Nintendo video game names—came from one of these sessions, and has since become a crowd favorite at shows.

"I've grown so much as a songwriter in the past two years," Davis says. "I take it much more seriously now than I ever did before."

Though each of the band members has day jobs—Brown is a mechanic, Davis works with copper and Dance is a butcher—they devote as much time as they can to music. "We usually have about two hours a day after work to practice; more if there's a show coming up," Brown says.

With dozens of songs under their belts, the band has begun recording their first album, "Fast Walk Into the Water."

"We have over 100 songs," Davis says. "We have to narrow that number down to 12 or so." With most of the recording at Brown's studio already finished, the band plans to release "Fast Walk Into the Water" sometime this spring.

Something for Tomorrow can be found online on Myspace.